Bay Area good bluegrass/old time jams?

[Patrick Gunning]

Figured I would poll the collective wisdom here - have a good fiddle-playing friend who is coming into the Bay Area from Denmark from February 13 through the 23rd and wanted to get some good jamming in while in the U.S.

I'm a southern California guy so I unfortunately don't have a good sense of what's going on.

Anyone have any ideas of a good jam to hit up?

[Treblemaker]

There are many jams.
I am in the house band at 2 of them - the Atlas Cafe (Last Thursday of each month in SF - 20th @ Alabama in the Mission (I play mandolin) and the first Weds of each month at the Plough and Stars (2nd @ Clement in the Richmond district)(where I play bass).

Here's a more complete list of jams courtesy of Peter Thompson - bluegrass DJ for KALW:


- Sundays (4 pm): The Lucky Horseshoe - 453 Cortland Ave., SF
- First Sunday (1 pm): Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association - Hoover Middle
School, Naglee Ave. & Park St., San Jose
March 1: Blaine Sprouse - workshop and concert
- 2nd/4th Sun. (3 pm): Progressive Grounds Cafe, 400 Cortland Ave., SF (o-t)
- 2nd Sunday (2 pm): Methodist Church, Boulder Creek (831-423-5214)
- 3rd Sunday (1 pm): Creative Art Center, Sunnyvale Community Center - 550 E. Remington Dr. <paulcc@nvbell.net>
- 4th Sunday (1:30 pm): California Old Time Fiddlers Association - United Methodist Church, 19806 Wisteria St., Castro Valley
- 4th Sun. (1 pm): Ocean View Park, Santa Cruz <santacruzjam@googlegroups.com>
- 4th Sunday (2 pm): Sebastopol Christian Church (707-824-1960) (gospel)

- Mondays: The Stork Club - 2330 Telegraph, Oakland <joshjakus@gmail.com>
- Mondays: Fandango Pizza - 3163 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto (old time)
<fandangojammers@yahoogroups.com>
- Mondays: Taco Jam - invitational jam hosted by Tom Lucas - Baja Taqueria,
4070 Piedmont Ave. (@ 41st), Oakland - with:
Jan. 12: Tom Lucas, Larry Cohea, James Touzel, Brian Judd, Jacob Groopman
Jan. 19: Tom Lucas, Steve Rosen (Java Jam), Katya Polovina, Andrew Barron, Brian Judd
Jan. 26: Avram Frankel, Jordan Klein, Ran Bush, Brian Judd, Chris Smith
Feb. 2: Betsy Mauldin, Larry Cohea, Bruce Campbell, Dan Large, Red Rick
Feb. 9: Amy Scher, Larry Cohea, Dave Gooding, Butch Waller, David Thom
- Second and Fourth Mondays (6:30 pm): The Pick Jam - Amnesia, 853 Valencia, SF [precedes the Bluegrass Monday show]

- 1st/3rd Tuesdays: SUBUD Hall, Sebastopol <davidacarlson62-at-hotmail.com>
- Second/Fourth Tuesdays: Dublin Heritage Center Park, 6600 Donlon, Dublin

- Wednesdays (6:30 pm): El Cerrito Music Works (upstairs), 11225 San Pablo, EC
- Wednesdays: Fandango Pizza, 3163 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto <fandangojammers@yahoogroups.com>
- Wednesdays: Java Jam - invitational jam hosted by Steve Rosen - Coffee Cat, 255 Mt. Hermon Rd., Scotts Valley
- Fourth Wednesday: Armando's, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez
- Fourth Wednesday: Aqus Café, Petaluma

- Thursdays: Morgan Hill Grange <rsimunic-at-hotmail.com>
- First/Third Thursdays: Marin Bluegrass Jam - Marin Lutheran Church, 649 Meadowsweet, Corte Madera
- Final Thursday: Atlas Cafe, 3049 - 20th (@ Alabama), SF (415-648-1047)

- Saturdays (2 pm): Coffee Catz, 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol (707-829-6600)
- First/Third Saturdays: Mission Pizza & Pub, 1572 Washington Blvd., Fremont; hosted by the Mill Creek Ramblers
- First Saturday (noon): Lamorinda Bluegrass & Old Time Music Jam - Lamorinda Music Store, 81 Lafayette Circle Lafayette
- Second Saturday (12 pm): Santa Clara Train Station, 1005 Railroad Ave., Santa Clara <kennedymk@comcast.net>
- Saturdays(5 pm - preceding Redwood Bluegrass concerts): RBA venue <jocimo@gmail.com>

[Paul Kotapish]

Nice summary, Ted.

[Amanda Gregg]

Look at that list! I think I live in the wrong part of the country...

[SincereCorgi]

There are many jams...

Great list, but some of these are defunct. Both Palo Alto Fandango Pizza jams are in limbo since the pizza place lost their lease. I'm not sure of the status of the Santa Clara railroad museum jam; I stopped going after I showed up a couple times and there was nobody there.

[lukmanohnz]

Pretty sure the Subud Hall jam in Sebastopol is no longer happening, but I'm pretty sure the Coffee Catz jam on Saturdays is still on. It is a great list of events - there's a lot of bluegrass in the Bay Area.

[Treblemaker]

I got the list from the latest email missive from Peter Thompson.
Not saying you should blame him for errors - but that's my source.

[Bruce Clausen]

Thanks for the rundown, Ted. I used to drop in on a Thursday jam on Adeline in Berkeley sometimes. The music store where it was held is now gone. Does anyone here know if there's a nearby weekly jam that has taken over for that one? It was a very informal "all walks" kind of affair. And does anyone know the Wednesday El Cerrito jam? Thanks for any info.

[Jonathan K]

Say, does anyone know if the jam on Mondays at The Stork Club in Oakland is still happening?

Thanks!

[Jonathan K]

I thought I'd reply to my own post! I confirmed that The Stork Club does indeed have a bluegrass jam every Monday starting around 9pm. Starting in January 2019, they will also have a folk jam starting at 6pm. I guess the folk folks have to get up early and go to work on Tuesdays. :))

[Bob Follett]

There are many jams.
I am in the house band at 2 of them - the Atlas Cafe (Last Thursday of each month in SF - 20th @ Alabama in the Mission (I play mandolin) and the first Weds of each month at the Plough and Stars (2nd @ Clement in the Richmond district)(where I play bass).

Here's a more complete list of jams courtesy of Peter Thompson - bluegrass DJ for KALW:


- Sundays (4 pm): The Lucky Horseshoe - 453 Cortland Ave., SF
- First Sunday (1 pm): Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association - Hoover Middle
School, Naglee Ave. & Park St., San Jose
March 1: Blaine Sprouse - workshop and concert
- 2nd/4th Sun. (3 pm): Progressive Grounds Cafe, 400 Cortland Ave., SF (o-t)
- 2nd Sunday (2 pm): Methodist Church, Boulder Creek (831-423-5214)
- 3rd Sunday (1 pm): Creative Art Center, Sunnyvale Community Center - 550 E. Remington Dr. <paulcc@nvbell.net>
- 4th Sunday (1:30 pm): California Old Time Fiddlers Association - United Methodist Church, 19806 Wisteria St., Castro Valley
- 4th Sun. (1 pm): Ocean View Park, Santa Cruz <santacruzjam@googlegroups.com>
- 4th Sunday (2 pm): Sebastopol Christian Church (707-824-1960) (gospel)

- Mondays: The Stork Club - 2330 Telegraph, Oakland <joshjakus@gmail.com>
- Mondays: Fandango Pizza - 3163 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto (old time)
<fandangojammers@yahoogroups.com>
- Mondays: Taco Jam - invitational jam hosted by Tom Lucas - Baja Taqueria,
4070 Piedmont Ave. (@ 41st), Oakland - with:
Jan. 12: Tom Lucas, Larry Cohea, James Touzel, Brian Judd, Jacob Groopman
Jan. 19: Tom Lucas, Steve Rosen (Java Jam), Katya Polovina, Andrew Barron, Brian Judd
Jan. 26: Avram Frankel, Jordan Klein, Ran Bush, Brian Judd, Chris Smith
Feb. 2: Betsy Mauldin, Larry Cohea, Bruce Campbell, Dan Large, Red Rick
Feb. 9: Amy Scher, Larry Cohea, Dave Gooding, Butch Waller, David Thom
- Second and Fourth Mondays (6:30 pm): The Pick Jam - Amnesia, 853 Valencia, SF [precedes the Bluegrass Monday show]

- 1st/3rd Tuesdays: SUBUD Hall, Sebastopol <davidacarlson62-at-hotmail.com>
- Second/Fourth Tuesdays: Dublin Heritage Center Park, 6600 Donlon, Dublin

- Wednesdays (6:30 pm): El Cerrito Music Works (upstairs), 11225 San Pablo, EC
- Wednesdays: Fandango Pizza, 3163 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto <fandangojammers@yahoogroups.com>
- Wednesdays: Java Jam - invitational jam hosted by Steve Rosen - Coffee Cat, 255 Mt. Hermon Rd., Scotts Valley
- Fourth Wednesday: Armando's, 707 Marina Vista, Martinez
- Fourth Wednesday: Aqus Café, Petaluma

- Thursdays: Morgan Hill Grange <rsimunic-at-hotmail.com>
- First/Third Thursdays: Marin Bluegrass Jam - Marin Lutheran Church, 649 Meadowsweet, Corte Madera
- Final Thursday: Atlas Cafe, 3049 - 20th (@ Alabama), SF (415-648-1047)

- Saturdays (2 pm): Coffee Catz, 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol (707-829-6600)
- First/Third Saturdays: Mission Pizza & Pub, 1572 Washington Blvd., Fremont; hosted by the Mill Creek Ramblers
- First Saturday (noon): Lamorinda Bluegrass & Old Time Music Jam - Lamorinda Music Store, 81 Lafayette Circle Lafayette
- Second Saturday (12 pm): Santa Clara Train Station, 1005 Railroad Ave., Santa Clara <kennedymk@comcast.net>
- Saturdays(5 pm - preceding Redwood Bluegrass concerts): RBA venue <jocimo@gmail.com>

Damn, I thought you were talking about the TAMPA Bay area. We need some jams here big time. This is a Bluegrass desert.

[CWRoyds]

I thought I'd reply to my own post! I confirmed that The Stork Club does indeed have a bluegrass jam every Monday starting around 9pm. Starting in January 2019, they will also have a folk jam starting at 6pm. I guess the folk folks have to get up early and go to work on Tuesdays. :))


Yup, the Stork Club jam is alive and well.
There are some pretty good players there.
It is usually a fun jam.
I go most Mondays.

There is also a Jam in Corte Madera on the first and third Thursday of the month.
It tends to be a bit slower than the Stork club jam, but can be fun too.
Marin Bluegrass Jam, Marin Lutheran Church, 649 Meadowsweet, Corte Madera, 7:30-10pm.

I am just thankful to have a few jams nearby.

[Gina Willis]

Sadly, this jam seems to no longer be happening:

- Saturdays (2 pm): Coffee Catz, 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol (707-829-6600)

I went there last Saturday to check it out, and no sign of it — there was a Beatles sing-along jam happening instead!
I grabbed a copy of the cafe’s event calendar and I saw no listing for any Bluegrass jam on any date, although there did appear to be a Celtic one.

[Bill Findley]

I went to the Corta Madera jam two years ago. Very nice, encouraging folks playing BG and OT. Same with the Plow and Stars group.

[Gravensteinrhonda]

Sadly, this jam seems to no longer be happening:

- Saturdays (2 pm): Coffee Catz, 6761 Sebastopol Ave., Sebastopol (707-829-6600)

I went there last Saturday to check it out, and no sign of it — there was a Beatles sing-along jam happening instead!
I grabbed a copy of the cafe’s event calendar and I saw no listing for any Bluegrass jam on any date, although there did appear to be a Celtic one.

The Sebastopol bluegrass jam has moved from Coffee Catz to the Hopmonk in Sebastopol and is now earlier on Saturdays. It seems to run from about noon til 3 or so on the small stage facing their patio, in winter all under a large clear tent, stays warm enough.